1. Field of Invention
Referring to disclosure Document No. 414416, of Feb. 18, 1997, this invention concerns an apparatus specifically designed to offer four combined, gentle, yet effective, exercise movements for:
a) The immediate relief from back muscle pain and tension; PA1 b) The improvement of rotary, frontal and posterior mobility of the pelvis; PA1 c) The improvement of general flexibility of the spine; PA1 d) The strengthening and developing of spinal, abdominal and lumbar muscles; PA1 e) The spinal awareness and posture self-correction. PA1 f) The improvement of blood circulation throughout the back of the body. PA1 i) The rotation of the torso or the twisting movement of the spine; PA1 ii) The frontal bending of the torso (so-called "stomach crunch"); PA1 iii) The posterior bending of the torso (so-called "back extension"); and PA1 iv) The spinal posterior flexion (so-called "spinal arching"). PA1 A) In such positions all vertebrae of the spine are under compression by the gravitational weight of the head, which accounts for almost 2/3's of one's body weight. Thus damage may result to cartilage, ligaments, contributing to the deterioration of arthritis-affected vertebrae, and to intervertebral slipped disk in the worst of cases; PA1 B) In virtually all apparatuses that offer this type of exercise, the initial force of the rotation is initiated by the arms and shoulders instead by isolated action of the lower muscles themselves. This is a way to transfer the arms' entire force to the lower back which becomes the fulcrum, thus causing stress to vertebral cartilage and ligaments. PA1 C) There is nothing in these devices that provides support and proper posture during rotation, i.e., that assures the ideal gravitational position of the spine, allowing it to transfer the weight of the head to the ground effortlessly without vertebral friction. PA1 a) No mobility therapy of the pelvis and no flexibility therapy of the spine can be achieved under vertebral compression of and muscle stress; PA1 b) Being the force initiated by the shoulders, the pelvis becomes the fulcrum, namely, the central exertion point; PA1 c) Indeed, abdominal and lumbar muscles need no expansion, but firmness and flexibility. In the first and most common instance, as in athlete's cases, when abdominal muscles are stronger, but are not compensated by lumbar erector muscles, especially under excessive stress, an imbalance may bring about muscles spasms; in the second and less common instance when both the abdominal and lumbar muscles are out of shape or inactive, rupture or hernia problems may occur. PA1 a) Some devices do offer a back rest, but it is often set at shoulder level, while support is needed for the lower back. Prima Facie an exception could be made for U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,863 (Mc Arthur et al) which has two pivotal axes and two hip attachments, but the uncoordinated articulation of the two eventually contributes to stress even more the lower muscles and vertebral joints; PA1 b) Being the point of contact located in the shoulder area, excessive exertion leverage and stress is again transferred to the lower spine's weakest points; PA1 c) Finally, being this movement naturally initiated by the upper muscles of the neck and shoulders excessive force is applied to the cervical vertebrae. PA1 a) Presently, there are no sufficient scientific applicable data that support the use of corrective mechanical means to restore cartilage support and elasticity. Cartilage cannot be repaired easily. Corrective spinal practices and cartilage regeneration must therefore be gradual and self-perpetuated. The application of corrective mechanical force can only account for risk of spinal deterioration. The natural curvature of the spine and spine flexibility can be achieved in most cases with exercises that use the body's weight and the body's capacity to correct itself through spinal awareness, as in yoga practice. PA1 c) Physical awareness is basically a spontaneous memory that is built by repetitive, gentle action to the interested part of the body. There is virtually no therapeutic apparatus or device that helps achieve spinal awareness, in ways for the subject to build such a subconscious memory to attempt self-correction of spinal posture.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
More than 90 Million Americans suffer from some form of back pain. Most common pathologies are located in the lower back of the body. To date, there is no comprehensive exercising fitness or therapeutic apparatus that can rehabilitate the back, effectively relieve pain, muscle tension and stiffness, especially of the lower back region--often under tension or left inactive, due to bad posture and lack of exercise.
There are basically three exercise movements accomplished by existing devices and apparatuses for helping with back problems, but they are often ineffective and counterproductive. They are:
While all four movements are intended for exercising the abdominal and lumbar muscles as well as providing flexibility to the spine, wrong application of force to the spine, vertebral compression, and the lack of protection for the natural curvature of the spine forced by these devices, substantially reduce the therapeutic benefits of the exercises. Moreover, devices designed to achieve pelvis mobility also have detrimental effects by putting unnecessary strain on the pelvis and on the spinal column as a whole.
Alternatively, these four movements can be seen from a different perspective and improved. The device can accomodate the body in such way as for the exercises to be performed naturally and non-strenuously. These movements are therapeutically beneficial when they are localized, when stress and friction especially to the weakest point of the back are removed. The exercise device should provide gradual, gentle aid toward self-rehabilitation, toward repairing or rebuilding muscle and cartilage fibers of the spine.
i) All devices currently used for therapeutic purposes, designed for torso rotation exercises that force this movement to the spine against some resistance, both in the standing position, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,924 (Anzaldua et al) and in the sitting position, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,245 (Baldwin); U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,860 (Staffee); U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,680 (Wu) have questionable therapeutic effects for the following reasons:
ii) There is currently no therapeutic device that specifically helps pelvis mobility by isolating pelvis movement. Virtually all devices in existence are designed to to exercise and to strengthen the abdominal muscles by offering resistance to the forward and rearward motion of the torso, without taking into account the natural dynamics of the body:
Such are the following devices: U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,089 (Jones); U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,126 (Grotstein); U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,473 (Safani et al); U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,619 (Rockwell et al); U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,144 (Rockwell); etc.
iii) Virtually, all devices currently used for therapeutic purposes, intended to exercise and to strengthen the lower back lumbar and spinal muscles by offering resistance to rearward movement of the torso, such as those cited above (ii), although less risky, may still produce likewise damages:
iv) Virtually all devices currently used for therapeutic purposes, designed to arch the spinal column with the application of mechanical force, may produce adverse effects. Such are U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,534 (Parviavien) ; U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,706 (Lee); U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,247 (Lepley); U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,272 (Hussey); U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,999 (Thornton).